The downpours started before dawn on Maui and the northern part of the Big Island, said National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Dye. No rainfall totals were yet available.

Tropical storm warnings were canceled overnight for the Big Island and Kauai, but remain in place for Oahu, Maui and small islands surrounding Maui.

A flash flood warning was issued for Molokai island, and a wind gust of 51 mph was recorded at the airport on the island of Lanai. The storm was later expected to impact Honolulu and other parts of Oahu, where Dye said some showers were falling Wednesday.

Hawaiian Airlines cancelled flights by its commuter airline, Ohana by Hawaiian. It and most other U.S. airlines serving Hawaii waived fees for customers looking to change their itineraries.

The storm was expected to affect Hana starting Tuesday night, and residents were bracing for the community with a population of 1,200 people to take the brunt of the storm, Hasegawa said.

Hana is a popular day-trip destination for travelers staying in Maui's resort towns. But Hasegawa urged people who don't need to be in Hana to stay away because they could become trapped and take up limited shelter space.